Never left the country?

[Munchkin03]

I was talking to a friend the other day who brought up the fact that most Americans don't leave the country...ever. My perspective is skewed because not only did I grow up in a military town, I went to college with a lot of international students...it wasn't until graduate school that I had met people who had never left the continental US.

For those GC-ers who have never left the States, do you have a reason? I figure we're a pretty representative sample...

[PureGoldF2K1]

I've never left the country except for a couple of trips to Niagara Falls, but those are practically day trips from Pittsburgh.
I guess I've never been anywhere else because of financial reasons, but as soon as I can afford it, I want to go to London, Australia, Spain, and Tokyo!!

I also want to visit all 50 states in my lifetime. Even just driving through, just to say that I've BEEN there!

[AGDee]

Growing up and living in Michigan all my life, I don't know anybody who has never been to Canada. But, Canada is closer than most of the U.S. for us!

Dee

[mmcat]

been to canada, mexico, carribean. want to go to europe. been to all 50 states.

[KSigkid]

I've only been to Canada and Mexico. There are two main reasons why I haven't gone overseas as of yet:

1) My mother is afraid of flying over water; in fact, she's afraid of the ocean, pools, etc. That limited the places my family could travel on vacations.

2) Money. Specifically, I didn't grow up with much, and it was a concern in college. Having to work my way through school, going someplace overseas was not an option for spring break, or even a study abroad program.

That said, I hope to make my first trip overseas in the next year or two. I've wanted to go for quite a while, so it will be nice to visit someplace outside of the country.

[SSS1365]

I had never left the country until last January, and that was to the Dominican Republic for my honeymoon. Before that, I had never even been to Mexico or Canada!

I don't know if there's any particular reason except that my parents never took me outside of the country when I was growing up, and I guess I just never had a chance to until last year. Next month I am going to London, which will be my 2nd trip outside of the US of A!

[WCUgirl]

I had never left the country until my honeymoon (when I was 22, almost 23).

I, too, have a reason for that. My parents loved to travel - in fact, there are only about a dozen states I haven't been to. But my father has some kind of inner ear thing that prevents him from flying, so everywhere we went, we drove. The summer b/w my freshman & sophomore year in high school, my parents went to Canada, but I chose not to go so I could 1-take driver's ed (it was hard to enroll in during the regular school year), and 2-hang out w/ my friends. My parents never had the desire to go to Mexico. If it wasn't reachable by automobile, we didn't go.

In high school I dated a guy who had never been out of the state of Florida!

[ADqtPiMel]

I've never left the country (unless you count gambling in Windsor, which I don't).

Plain and simple- my family doesn't have much money. I would have loved to study abroad, but it was out of the question.

[valkyrie]

I've been to Canada and France but that's it.

[HotDamnImAPhiMu]

Honestly? I never had the interest. I probably could have figured out a way to afford it -- if something's important enough to you, you do it, right? -- but there were just always so many other ways I needed to spend that money. Like on college.

[chideltjen]

I have only been to Canada. But I've never been outside of North America... yet. I still have plans to fly to Europe soon. Just not this year unfortunately.

[Dionysus]

No, I have never left the country and probably never will.

Why?

Too expensive. My parents couldn't afford it. My grandparents could but....

I'm afraid to fly! My mom has a health condition that can be exaccerbated by flying or going into high altitudes. I have a trait of her illness and I can be harmed by flying also.

Little interest. I dunno, it seems like we have everything here in the states. We're like a mini-world. If I want to go somewhere really tropical with brown folks, I can go to hawaii, lol. If I want to live by a cottonfield I can go to Mississippi. If I want to be humbled by visiting impoverished people, I can go to any ghetto. And so on....

[Peaches-n-Cream]

Most Americans haven't left the United States, and most have never had a passport.

I have traveled to a few countries: Ireland, Mexico, England, France, and the Bahamas. I haven't traveled to all the places that I hope to visit because of the problems in the world lately and it's expensive. I hope to travel to Italy and Asia in the future.

So Munchkin, how was your trip?

I've been to Nuevo Laredo, that's it. That doesn't really count though, does it?

[Rudey]

Originally posted by Peaches-n-Cream
Most Americans haven't left the United States, and most have never had a passport.

I have traveled to a few countries: Ireland, Mexico, England, France, and the Bahamas. I haven't traveled to all the places that I hope to visit because of the problems in the world lately and it's expensive. I hope to travel to Italy and Asia in the future.

So Munchkin, how was your trip?

Per Capita Income was just slightly over $28,000 in 2001. Most Americans don't leave the country and travel that much because when you make that much it's difficult to justify spending several thousand on your travel instead of things like food, housing, etc.

Also I doubt many people from other countries, like saaaaaaay Mexico are just living it up and travelling everywhere.

Anyway, I have had the good fortune to come from an international background where I was born and raise abroad and my family shouldered that expense. Even now with my very good income, I'm happy that I can pay to travel wherever but I know most people don't have that or families paying for them to go abroad.

-Rudey